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Hillary Clinton finds converts on Capitol Hill

WASHINGTON—Hillary Clinton hasn't yet made her intentions known on a 2016 presidential bid, but prominent voices on Capitol Hill are letting her know they stand ready to support her if she runs. At least three

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WASHINGTON—Hillary Clinton hasn't yet made her intentions known on a 2016 presidential bid, but prominent voices on Capitol Hill are letting her know they stand ready to support her if she runs.

At least three prominent Democrats recently have offered full-throated support for their former colleague—something they did not offer in 2008 during her Democratic presidential primary battle against Barack Obama.

Appearing on PBS's "News Hour" Wednesday evening, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said he was her number one fan.

"Hillary Clinton may have a bigger fan than Harry Reid, I just don't know who it would be," gushed the Nevada Democrat, who endorsed Obama in 2008.

Thursday, Reid doubled down on his Clinton support telling reporters: "I think she's a stunningly brilliant person. I have great affection for her. She was an outstanding first lady, a tremendously important part of the Senate and her job as secretary of state has been wonderful."

Reid contended that he thought Clinton would be an even better president than her husband Bill Clinton.

Reid's comments come the same week that another 2008 Obama backer, Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., told Buzzfeed that she's already apologized to the Clintons for saying on NBC's "Meet the Press" in 2006 that Bill Clinton was a "great leader" but "I don't want my daughter near him."

"It was gratuitous and hurtful and I have apologized to both President Clinton and Hillary Clinton for saying it," McCaskill said.

She added: "Having said that, I couldn't be more enthusiastic for her to be president now. And I can't wait to work as hard or harder for Hillary Clinton as I did for Barack Obama."

On the House side, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., told USA TODAY's "Capital Download," last month that she too was excited for a potential Clinton run. Pelosi did not formally endorse in the race in 2008 because she was serving as speaker then, but she was widely viewed as a private Obama supporter

"I think so," Pelosi said, when asked if Democrats were coalescing around Clinton. "There's a great deal of excitement about the prospect that she would run."

She added: "I don't know why she wouldn't run. She's prepared. She's well-known. She's highly respected. She knows she could do the job very, very well."